Group: Moms, Babies Need Longer Stays

Most mothers and babies need to stay in the hospital at least 48 hours after childbirth, the nation’s largest group of pediatricians said Tuesday, bucking the trend toward money-saving “drive-through deliveries.”

“The fact that a short hospital stay … can be accomplished does not mean it is appropriate for every mother and infant,” the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a policy statement.

Increasingly, insurers are refusing payment for hospital stays beyond 24 hours after an uncomplicated delivery, said the 49,000-member academy, based in suburban Elk Grove Village.